Just South of Georgetown is a swath of coastal habitat that has been preserved on a landscape scale. Local birdwatchers and camera club members are known to visit the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, but the number of first-time visitors is increasing all the time. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has managed this land since 1976 when the late Tom Yawkey willed the acreage to the Palmetto State. Only a few areas in North America enjoy the level of biodiversity found on the property, and Mr. Yawkey’s vision for providing a sanctuary for birds and plants remains in clear view today.
The Yawkey Wildlife Center is composed of 31-square miles including North Island, South Island and Cat Island. There is 24,000-acres of uplands interspersed with wetlands, and a full 14-miles of untouched front beach that is a magnet for nesting loggerhead sea turtles. Due to specific requests in Yawkey’s will forbidding recreational activities like hunting, this area will always remain a wildlife sanctuary. His understanding that any dream takes funding, led him to leave a large endowment in place. Today, the Yawkey Foundation literally pays for every endeavor on the property, including the salary of the SCDNR staff.
This formula of habitat management without the pressure to generate revenue, is the formula that will help the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center stand the test of time. As the U.S. population continues to migrate towards the coast and areas like Georgetown, the Yawkey Center will remain unchanged and virtually guarantee that wildlife will seek it out as a stronghold. Migratory birds already flock to the Yawkey Center in impressive numbers due to a large number of ponds and impoundments that appeal to waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. The Santee Delta is also home to other large tracts of land, such as hunting plantations, and they all aid wildlife habitat as extensions off of the Yawkey centerpiece.
The only access to the Yawkey Center is from the Belle Isle boat ramp, and SCDNR offers 4-hour van tours of the property on many days of the year. Longtime guide Jim Lee, the 2021 SCDNR Employee of the Year, will drive a circuitous route across the island and lead the guests to scenic vistas that never disappoint. He blends stories from the past with present day, in a way that reveals the tapestry of heritage that exists here. Lee also points out native wildflowers and sightings that provide a happy memory for folks to take home. The total acreage was compiled by purchasing small tracts over time, and the Yawkey Foundation is still acquiring adjacent tracts today, including 269-acres in 2022.
To view this article on the Internet click on April Issue of Trilogy Outdoors
To view past blog entries from Yawkey Center click on 2023 Winter Photo Safari - 2018 Walk Through History - 2016 Birding Tour - 2015 Shorebirds with Manomet - 2015 Yawkey Legacy Story
To view Birding Field Trips for 2023 click on Harbor Island - Kiawah Island - Webb Wildlife Center - Whooping Crane Pond - Jarvis Creek Park - Caw Caw Bio Blitz - Botany Bay WMA - Pinckney Island NWR - ACE Basin NWR Combahee Unit
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